Pictorial block and method of making the same



c. ORR

PICTORIAL BLOCK AND METHOD OF MAKING THE- SAME File'march's, 1924 2Shets -Sheet 1 ORR Feb. .3. i925.

PICTORIAL BLOCK AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March a, 1924 2Sheets-sheaf 2 Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAREY ORR,-OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS.

PICTOBIAL BLOCK AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed March 8, 1924. Serial No. 697,899.

To all whom it may concern:

fie it known that I, CAREY ORR, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Wilmette, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pictorial Blocks andMethods of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to childrens blocks and particularly to a pluralityof blocks adapted to be. so assembled as to present a view of aparticular character, the ex pression or position of the character beingvaried by shifting the blocks.

In carrying out my invention I provide a plurality of blocks each havingupon its respective faces, different views of the same portion of theanatomy or physiognomy of the character or subject. -These blocks, whenassembled with the respective portionsof the anatomy-of the subject intheir correct relation, present a complete view'of the subject. Each ofthe blocks is, however, capable of being differently positioned with theresult that the appearance or expression of the subject is almostinfinitely variable. This will be apparent when it is understood that ifthere are eleven blocks having difierent views on each of their foursides, the number of possible variations is determined by ascertainingthe eleventh power of four which is 4,194,304. The only essential in theconstruction of I blocks of this character is that the principal linesof the respective views shall, at their juncture in the difierent blocksof the assembly, be made to register;

By reason of my novel method of constructing the blocks, the cost ofmanufacture is relatively slight and they may be purchased and marketedat a very low figure. The desired result is secured by displaying thedifi'erent fragmentary views on a single sheet, all the views relatingto the same portion of the face or figure being placed in side-by-siderelation transversely of the sheet. The sheet is then secured to arectangular wood bar and the bar severed transversely along the dividingline between the respective views. In order to increase theeffectiveness and the possible variations I likewise sever the viewsshowing the intermediate portion of the face,

thus making it possible to vary the expres-' sions of the difierentsides of the face.

view through the block shown in ,Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view. of the sheet or strip to which the difi'erent viewsappearing on the sides of the blocks have been applied, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rectangular bar onswhich the sheethas been secured.

In the adaptation of the invention shown in Fig; 1, it will be seen thatI have provided for eleven blocks, numbered 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17,18, 19 and 20, the blocks being in the form of regular prisms andeach bearing upon its several faces different views of the same'portionof the physiognomy of the character portrayed. The specific subject isthat of Kernel Cootie, a well known cartoon subject.

In order to better understand the invention the method of making theblocks will be explained. The artist first prepares a series of drawingsfragmentary in character, placing four views of the same portion of theanatomy or physiognomy of the subject in adjacent positions,'one aboveanother. A strip containing four of each of the different portions ofthe face,,arranged in end to end relation, is shown in Fig. 3. It willbe seen that there are eleven divisions, the face of the character beingdivided to this extent. The first main division, indicated by the views21, represents the top part of the head, which views may include a hator other head covering. The second general division includes twosubdivisions 22-23, representing the eye brows. The third division issubdivided three times into the portions 24, 25, 26 and 27 representingthe eyes and ears. The fourth division is divided twice, to form theportions 28, 29 and 30, representing the nose and the upper part ofthe-beard, while the last division 31 includes the lower portion of thebeard and a part of the shoulder. The sheet, when formed as describedand which, after having been prepared by the artist, may be lithographedand cheaply produced in quantities, is applied to a bar of wood 32, thestrip bein of sufilcient width to exactly surround the ar. Thereafterthe bar is severed on the general division and sub-division lines. Thisresults in the formation of eleven rectangular blocks or varyinglengths, the total length of the blocks composing each division beingequal.

The blocks when assembled in the container or box 33 will be so disposedas to present certain views when the cover 3450f the box is removed. Inorder to change the expressions registered by the character it is onlnecessary to displace one of the blocks an rotate it on its long axis topresent anshown in Fig. 1, a slight variation is indicated in that theblocks 17, 19 showing the upper portion of the beard and the mouth linesdo not correspond, the block 17 indicating a distortion of the mouth toaccommodate the pipe shown in the block 20. Thus the expresslons may bevaried substantially without limit.

The blocks ma be produced by many different methods but in the onedisclosed I have eliminated all unnecessary steps and the success of themethod depends entirely l upon the care and accuracy exhibited by theworkman. If the strips are firmly glued to the wood bar, and if a finetoothed saw is employed for the severing operation, there will be nomutilation of the design at the joints. The division line will besubstantially exactiy the width of the saw out.

One of the novel features consists in so arranging the intermediatedivision lines that they are out of'register; that is, do not coincide.Thus no block is of exactly the same length as a block in an adjacentrow. Therefore the box of blocks may be held in a vertical, or inclinedvertical position; that 1s, in the same position as when the sheetcontaining Fig. 1 is held vertically before the user,'and any block(except the bottom block) may be removed and replaced without a block inan. upper row dropping down or interfering in any way.

Other divisions than those indicated may be made if desired, and othersubjects or figures may be employed and the inventive i ea may bemodified in many particulars without departure from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim:

1. Rectangular blocks each having on a plurality of sides variedfragmentary views of the same portion of the physiognomy of a character,said blocks being adapted to be placid in 'uxtaposition and to present acomplete picture of the face of the char acter, the blocks being adaptedto be rotated to present other sides thereof to view and thereby tochange the expression of the character. 7

2. Rectangular blocks each having on its sides fragmentary views of thesame portion of the face of a character and adapted to be assembled topresent a complete view of said face, the blocks being separatelyrotatable to present different views of the respective portion of theface represented by said block, the blocks representing the intermediateportion of th face 'bein divided whereby the expressions registered bythe sides of the face may be separately varied.

3. Rectangular blocks each'hav-ing on its sides fragmentary views of thesame portion of the face of a character and adapted to be assembled topresent a complete view of said face, the blocks being separatelyrotatable to present different views of the respective portion of theface represented by said block, the blocks representing the intermediateportion of the face being divided'whereby the expressions registered bythe sides of the face may be separately varied, the blocks representingthe to and bottom of the head being respectively in one piece butlikewise containing on their sides different views of that portion ofthe head.

4:. The combination with a plurality of blocks, of an open toppedcontainer therefor within which said blocks are closely fitted, saidblocks being of such size as to form transverse rows of uniform width,the blocks composin such rows being of different lengths in adjacentrows, whereby with the container in a vertical osition a single blockmay be displaced and replaced without interferencefrom a block in thevertically adjacent row.

5, The combination with a plurality of blocks, of acontainer thereforwithin which said blocks are confined in a desired relation intransverse and longitudinal rows, the dividing line between the blockscomposing adjacent transverse rows being out of register, whereby withthe container held in such position that the longitudinal rows are in avertical position an individual block may be displaced and replacedwithout interference from a block in a vertically adjacent row.

6. The combination of a plurality of blocks and an open top box withinwhich said blocks are fitted in juxtaposition, said blocks havingcorrelated views on their different faces, said different faces beingexposed by displacing, rotating and replacing said blocks, the bottomwall or fioor of the box having apertures, one beneath each block,thereby enabling separate blocks to be displaced upwardly by pressurefrom beneath.

7 The combination with a plurality of rectangular blocks, of a containertherefor within which said blocks are closel to present an exposed planesurface aring correlated devices, said container having a wall on whichthe blocks are supported, said wall having openings at a point beneaththe blocks, thereby permitting individual blocks to be displacedupwardly by. pressure ap- 10 plied to the bottom of a block.

8. The method of making pictorial blocks,

which consists in preparing a sheet having thereon separate fragmentaryviews of a subject, then attaching said sheet to a bar. rectangular incross section, then transversely severing the bar at the dividing linebe- I tween respective views.

9. The method of making pictorial blocks, which consists in preparing asheet having thereon separate fragmentary views of a subject, aplurality of views of the same portion of the anatomy of the subjectbeing arranged one above the other transverely of the sheet, thensecuring the sheet around a rectangular bar, and then severing the barfitted transversely at the dividing line between the respective views.

10. The method of making blocks, which consists in placing on a sheet aplurality of varied fragmentary views of a face, the varied'views of thesame portions of the face being-placed one above the other, the wrappingaround and securing the sheet to a rectangular bar and then severing thebar transversely-at the line between respective .sets of views. v

11. The method of making blocks, which consists in placing on a sheet alurality of varied fragmentary views of a ace, the varied views of thesame portion of the face being placed one above the other, then wrappingaround and securing the sheet to a raztangular bar and then severing thebar transversely at the line between respective sets of views, the viewsrepresenting the intermediate portion of the face being severed midwayof the len h as well as at their ends.

Signed at'C icago, Illinois, this 5th dayof March, 1924. I

CAREY ORR.

